Monday, November 7, 2011

[ZESTCaste] Dalits launch a capital enterprise

 

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-11-06/delhi/30366207_1_mumbai-s-dalit-kalpana-saroj-dicci

Dalits launch a capital enterprise
Anahita Mukherji, TNN Nov 6, 2011, 03.24AM IST

NEW DELHI: Growing up in the 1990s in small town Rajasthan, TR
Meghwal, son of a Dalit farmer, was not allowed to touch the 'lota'
from which upper caste boys drank water. When he was thirsty, upper
caste students would pour water into his cupped palms. Ten years down
the line, Meghwal has joined hands with a Brahmin from Rajasthan,
Rupraj Purohit, to start a multi-crore construction company.

Meghwal was one of 50-odd Dalit entrepreneurs from across India who
attended the inauguration of the Delhi chapter of DAICCI (Dalit India
Chamber of Commerce and Industry).

Dressed in suits and ties - the trademark of Dalit messiah Dr
Babasaheb Ambedkar - their message was loud and clear. They were
celebrating the arrival of the Dalit capitalist. A couple of decades
ago, the term itself could well be considered an oxymoron for a
community synonymous with poverty.

The event, a cocktail-cum-dinner party at India International Centre
on Saturday evening, was not simply a celebration of Dalit wealth but
a recognition of the struggles the community has been through. The
function heralded the arrival of a new social order. Take for instance
Sharvan Singh, son of a labourer in an Agra shoe factory, who now
heads his own shoe business. He acknowledges the fact that doing
business as a Dalit is no easy task. For starters, he points out that
despite a government policy on no-guarantee loans for Dalits, most
banks insist on collateral.

The gathering included the likes of Shishupal Singh, a Delhi-based
garment exporter with clients in France, Spain and Italy, as well as
Mumbai's Dalit czarina Kalpana Saroj, who runs Kamani Tubes Limited.

''By showcasing Dalit entrepreneurship, we are sending out a message
to society that, despite all odds, Dalits can succeed,'' said Chandra
Bhan Prasad, Dalit activtist and author.

DICCI started its Mumbai chapter earlier this year. The Delhi chapter
is the fifth of its kind across the country. ''In another six months,
we hope to have 25 chapters across India,'' said DICCI chairman Milind
Kamble, who founded the organisation in Pune in 2005.

Congress leader Digvijay Singh and Mukul Vasnik, minister for social
justice and empowerment - both chief guests at the function - felt
DICCI had an important role to play in helping the government
implement its recent policy of making 4% of annual government
purchases from SC/ST enterprises.

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